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Kansas fans wave the wheat following a field goal by Scott Webb in the first half of the Jayhawks' 19-14 victory over Colorado. KU improved to 7-0 with the victory Saturday in Boulder, Colo.
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Reader poll
Which of the five unbeaten FBS teams is most likely to lose next weekend?
- No. 1 Ohio St. (at No. 24 Penn St.) 7% 166 votes
- No. 2 Boston Coll. (at No. 8 Va. Tech) 53% 1258 votes
- No. 7 Arizona St. (vs. No. 18 Cal) 26% 633 votes
- No. 12 Kansas (at Texas A&M) 10% 259 votes
- No. 16 Hawaii (vs. New Mexico St.) 2% 54 votes
2370 total votes.
Undefeated Jayhawks rank 9th in BCS
Jayhawks fall in at number nine in the Bowl Championship Series standings after winning in Colorado.
Kansas fans wave the wheat following a field goal by Scott Webb in the first half of the Jayhawks' 19-14 victory over Colorado. KU improved to 7-0 with the victory Saturday in Boulder, Colo.
No word if "Win one for the gipper!" ever has been cried at a Kansas University football practice.
Whatever coach Mark Mangino has up his sleeve to keep KU's concentration, it has worked wonders so far.
Not only are the Jayhawks succeeding, they're sustaining even as outside attention - be it newfound praise or even lingering doubt - continues to mount.
"Coach keeps us focused," cornerback Aqib Talib said after KU's 19-14 victory over Colorado on Saturday. "Coach makes sure he has a speech every week for us to keep us down to earth."
Cue the image of Knute Rockne addressing his Notre Dame squad in 1928.
It's not quite that dramatic, of course. It's just that No. 12 Kansas (7-0 overall, 3-0 Big 12 Conference play) hasn't been this good in more than a decade. The current players - some of whom were 6 years old the last time KU started 7-0 - are green to what accompanies such success.
That's where coaching, and speeches, come in to play.
"When I talk to the team after practices, I deal with the issue at hand for that particular time," Mangino said Sunday. "It may be during a season we struggle, so you discuss those issues.
"In this case here, it's success. I'm a firm believer that if you don't handle adversity or success well, you're doomed for problems."
The Jayhawks obviously have responded each week. They rolled past five beatable opponents at home by a wider margin than anticipated, then won two huge conference games on the road when past failures were cited as a reason they might not.
Prominence does have its consequences, one of which is the increased vigilance of the national media. Mega-newspapers like the New York Times have profiled Talib, and ESPN came to a recent practice to capture behind-the-scenes footage for its popular "College Gameday" show.
Heading into Saturday's game at Texas A&M - which again will be televised nationally on ESPN2 - the Jayhawks can expect the attention to intensify. It will as long as they stay undefeated.
So far, KU's players have handled it well. Mid-week speeches may have something to do with it. But Mangino said it's more of a proper mind-set that the players have adopted for this increasingly wild ride.
"We've worked hard to attain success," Mangino said, "and the way we've done that is just by taking care of the business at hand every day.
"Our kids are really grounded. I don't see that affecting us. This group of kids here is pretty focused on the task at hand."
Added linebacker Joe Mortensen: "It feels good to be 7-0. But we're just a one-track mind right now. We're on A&M. We can't really look ahead. We're just going to try to win every game and see what happens at the end."
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Comments
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
Respect everyone, fear no one
--- and ---
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer
October 22, 2007 at 7:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
johnballa (anonymous) says...
wtf?
October 22, 2007 at 8:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LAJayhawk5 (anonymous) says...
Um, huh?
"Death and taxes!"
Enough with the cliches, bud.
HAWKS!!!!!
October 22, 2007 at 8:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jaybirdy68 (anonymous) says...
I am going to be in San Diego for the Texas A&M game. Where is the best place to be with KU Alumni?
October 22, 2007 at 8:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chetp (anonymous) says...
Probably Lawrence
October 22, 2007 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
txrockchalk (anonymous) says...
jaybirdy, here is a link to some watch site and chapter contact info:
http://www.kualumni.org/cgi-bin/cgiwr...
October 22, 2007 at 8:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jacqueshock (anonymous) says...
I know I'm probably a minority on this, but it's something I've been pondering.
I'm of the opinion that the fight song should be played after touchdowns and the waving the wheat should happen after the extra point (attempt).
It's going against the grain of tradition (no pun intended), but think of it this way: What would it look like if, after scoring a touchdown, Clemson played something other than "Tiger Rag"? Or Oklahoma played something other than "Boomer Sooner"? Or Alabama something other than "Yea Alabama"?
I think you get the point. Just some food for thought.
October 22, 2007 at 10:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
thetagger (anonymous) says...
Keep winnin', boys. #9 in the BCS and climbing...
October 22, 2007 at 10:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
summers (anonymous) says...
I have to disagree, Jacqueshock. The playing of "Touchdown Song" slow version, after a touchdown, and fast version, after extra point, are a tradition. You don't hear too many schools doing a chant similar to Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, either. We are unique. I graduated in '82 and no matter where I am, when KU scores a touchdown, I start waving the wheat...then waving faster after we make an extra point...tradition!!!
Now, the Beak 'em hand gesture... (tee hee!)
"...These are the fella's they say are pretty good, but,I think we're better...When we're confident of that, why, the results will take care of themselves." - Knute Rockne
October 22, 2007 at 10:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
what's wrong with the Beak 'em? ;)
As for the cliches, it was EARLY, but I hope our team respects all their opponents, but fears none of them!
October 22, 2007 at 11:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...
There's nothing wrong with the beak 'em in my mind, just as there is nothing wrong with waving the wheat after a TD, then faster after the extra pt. We are so lucky here in that we have so many original traditions. My buddy and I were remarking on the drive back from CO after we saw the 450th 'we are K-suck' billboard that their mascot is a dude in a football jersey with a giant cat head on it. Awesome.
There are very few schools in the nation that have such recognizable mascots, sayings, and songs as KU. That is due in part to our wonderful Alumni base spreading Jayhawk Nation all over the nation and world, and in part to our unique traditions. I wouldn't trade waving the wheat, saying 'beak 'em', or saying 'rock chalk' for anything!
October 22, 2007 at 11:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
OK, so call me crazy, but every time I see someone with KU stuff on their car the last couple of weeks, I've been honking and waving, because I'm excited about the football team ...
if Beak em were universally recognized, I could flash that at them, I really can't wave the wheat while driving my car or roll down the window and yell rock chalk ...
Let's get more tools in the box, as it were! :D
October 22, 2007 at 11:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
summers (anonymous) says...
You make a good point, 7year... Maybe I should reconsider the validity and versitility of the Beak'em gesture. I was waving the wheat the other day while driving in the mountains in my jeep and, well, let's just say Geico will need a new caveman for their ads. Maybe they can use the KSUck dude with the cathead.
October 22, 2007 at 12:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oldalum (anonymous) says...
I don't think Okla restricts "Boomer Sooner" to touchdowns. The few times I have seen their TV games, I'm ready to disembowel their pep band by halftime. I swear they play that irritating song after every play or at least after every first down.
October 22, 2007 at 12:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
sang to the tune of Boomer Sooner:
"this is the only, song we kn-ow, that we kn-ow, that we kn-ow!
"this is the only, song we kn-ow, that we kn-ow, that we kn-ow!"
repeat ad nauseum ...
/thanks summers! ;)
October 22, 2007 at 12:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
number1jayhawker (anonymous) says...
Did anyone notice Nick Reid in the picture of KU fans waving the wheat?
October 22, 2007 at 12:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...
Boomer Sooner and whatever the heck USC plays every thirty seconds..."daaaa, da da da da daaa, daaaaa da da daa daa" are two of the most annoying band songs in all of college football, tradition be damned!
October 22, 2007 at 1:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
thetagger (anonymous) says...
I know! I can't stand the OU song. It's 6 seconds, repeated over and over and over... Maybe they have a really long and beautiful fight song, but the pages stuck together for the first band leader...
October 22, 2007 at 1:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seattlehawk_78 (anonymous) says...
Can't beat tradition. I think KU has one of the best fight songs and the waving of the wheat and Rock Chalk chant are totally cool. Although I think whoever thought of doing the Rock Chalk Jayhawk on opposing sides of the stadium came up with a great idea. I don't care for the German-Tekno song I keep hearing at KU games mainly because other schools are doing it. Just like the Gary Glitter song they do at AFH, if other schools copy it what's the point. The traditional songs and cheers we do are recognizable and uniquely our own. No one can copy them.
October 22, 2007 at 1:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AzHawk97 (anonymous) says...
Yes, Boomer Sooner is annoying, but does any fight song have a better line that "When I Die I'll Be Sooner Dead"?
October 22, 2007 at 2:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AzHawk97 (anonymous) says...
One last thing here: I'm so amped about football I almost failed to notice the new WoKU Calendar, but when I did take notice I read that it was shot in Missouri. WTF? Did they run out of Kansas locations already? I also liked it better when they had KU gear on, so you could display it proudly with the excuse that you are representing KU. Now it just looks like a swimsuit calendar...shot in Weston, Missouri.
October 22, 2007 at 2:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bdsnook (anonymous) says...
Waving the wheat is what makes us KU. The band always plays I'm a Jayhawk after the point after, so you can get your fill of both.
As for the one-handed Beak 'em Hawks, that sounds strange. It should be a big beak using both hands and arms! During the Mason years, the band would play the Star Wars Imperial Theme when the opposing defense had to punt, and the fans would Beak 'em. I'm not sure when this was phased out, but it needs to be brought back immediately.
October 22, 2007 at 2:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
summers (anonymous) says...
I have to admit that I was born in Oklahoma...my dad has two degrees from OU and everyone in my family is a
Sooner...I do follow OU games with interest, but I am Jayhawk through and through...now I tell people...
I'm Sooner born and Sooner bred,
and when I die,
I'll be Jayhawk dead!!
October 22, 2007 at 2:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CasperCorps (anonymous) says...
Anybody see that KU game?... That was awesome!!!!
October 22, 2007 at 2:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
leikness (anonymous) says...
number1 - that's talib's brother in the red same row as reid on the right. he bummed a brewsky off us before the game.
October 22, 2007 at 3:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JBurtin (anonymous) says...
bdsnook, I'll have to adamently disagree. The song and the hand gesture were both stolen from florida, we're not the wildcats, we can think of our own traditions.
October 22, 2007 at 3:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JBurtin (anonymous) says...
I came up with the Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk on opposing sides of the stadium thing, but the cheerleading coach is a freakin' idiot. He said he was going to try the Rock, Chalk, Jay, hawk, Go, k, uuuuuuuu one that they use in the Allen Fieldhouse. That would have been fine with me, just slow it down so it will work with a bigger crowd. Instead he split up each half of the stadium into like three different sections and tried some stupid Go, Big, Blue chant. Nobody knew what the hell to yell or when so it completely fell flat.
I'll have to write him again and see if he'll simplify the whole situation and take my freakin' advise since he obviously has no idea what he's doing.
October 22, 2007 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
leikness (anonymous) says...
GD Cheerleading coaches......idiot
October 22, 2007 at 3:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yovoy (anonymous) says...
the "german techno" is "zombie nation" by kernkraft. is it art imitating life since everyone is "dancing" to it in the stadium? i dunno, but i was shocked as h*ll when i heard it being played at memorial.
i liked the imperial theme, it sounded good (and seemed to fit the nature of the teams back then), and i don't care where we stole it. we probably had to abandon it w/ the onset of "the allen years" - nobody really had to punt against those guys.
October 22, 2007 at 5:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
100 (anonymous) says...
Go to College Station KU fans!!!!!! (remember what Nebraska used to do to us with their traveling fans?) Just like our football team, our newly blossoming, growing travelling football fans have to continue showing up in droves... go to college station and respectfully tip the balance for the Hawks! Let's take care of business!
October 22, 2007 at 8:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
OklahomaJayhawk5 (anonymous) says...
I like the rip his F*****G head off! Hilarious
October 22, 2007 at 8:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scootja32 (anonymous) says...
I would prefer something different for a pre-kickoff pump up song. Like some Prodigy or Metallica.
Maybe Sanstorm by Darude (hey if the Iranian national football team can use it, we can use it).
Dragula by Rob Zombie? anyone? I'd even keep the vocals from this one.
Lose yourself, ok, WAY overplayed, I agree.
Sirius by APP? Hey, it worked for Jordan.
Helles Belles? Ok again, probably overplayed.
"Keep Hope Alive" Crytal Method (opening scene in Blade)?
I do like the opening song we have "Enter Sandman"
Any others I can't think of?
October 22, 2007 at 8:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...
The good old 'start me up' by the Stones. It's a classic
October 22, 2007 at 9:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
Boom by P.O.D.
Rollin' by Limp Bizkit
Remember before I Forget(?) by Slipknot
October 22, 2007 at 11:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scootja32 (anonymous) says...
I thought of boom too, just left it off. Here comes THE
October 22, 2007 at 11:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
does anyone else remember, I think it was three years ago, the home opener ...
at every kickoff it was a different song, but every game after that, it was the same kraftwerk deal.
Were they really different or have I been hitting the crack pipe again?
October 22, 2007 at 11:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scootja32 (anonymous) says...
you must be using an aluminum foil pipe if you dont remember the crack
October 22, 2007 at 11:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
ha!
October 22, 2007 at 11:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
actorman (anonymous) says...
Not that I know any of their music well enough to suggest a specific song, but wouldn't it be appropriate to use a song by the Jayhawks? Or how about Kansas? ("Carry on My Wayward Son" -- I know, too mellow.)
As for the song sung to "Boomer Sooner" ("this is the only, song we kn-ow, that we kn-ow, that we kn-ow!), I don't believe that's original, as those exact lyrics have been used by Cal fans to mock USC for decades. (And in fact the lyrics fit the hideous USC marching song much better than the hideous "Boomer Sooner.") But I agree those two are the most annoying college fight songs in the entire country.
For KU, I've always liked "Go Fight Win" (I don't know the actual title of the song) much better than "I'm a Jayhawk." I would love it if they made "Go Fight Win" the official fight song and used "I'm a Jayhawk" as a backup. "Go Fight Win" has gotten even better in recent years with everyone singing "da da da da" on the instrumental portions. That's the song that always gave me chills growing up, especially when I heard it at Allen. So what do you say, sevenyear? How about starting a movement for switching the fight songs, along with your new "beak'em" tradition?
October 23, 2007 at 2:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
txrockchalk (anonymous) says...
Here's a fun pre-kickoff song suggestion:
Bodies by Drowning Pool
October 23, 2007 at 8:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jacqueshock (anonymous) says...
Well, you all certainly made me think. No doubt, the Rock Chalk Chant is great, no matter where it's used. I guess I'm used to a certain pattern. Where I'm at I hear either the "Jaws" theme from the University of Florida or the Warchant from Florida State.
I am a fan of fightsongs in general, so I always enjoy hearing them. If you want to listen to your heart's content to some of the songs the KU band plays, go to fightmusic.com and click on Big 12. Be prepared to hear the Nittany Lion roar when you first load the page, b/c the creator is a Penn State fan.
October 23, 2007 at 9:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bdsnook (anonymous) says...
JBurtin, I had no idea we took that from Florida. You're right then, we can be original. I suppose I could warm up to the small beaks, but we gotta come up with a song to use it with.
I nominate Sunflower Song. It's simple and it's played at least once every game, and currently all we do is clap.
October 23, 2007 at 12:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
Tex,
I almost suggested Bodies ...
thanks bdsnook!
actorman, I'm catching enough heat for my beak 'em thing, if I suggest something else, I might have to go underground ...
I sent Lou Holtz something "Kansas related" and something about beak 'em ... stay tuned!
October 23, 2007 at 9:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )